Islamabad, Pakistan – The Supreme Court of Pakistan has disqualified former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from his post from holding any public office for life, due to the corruption allegations last year.
The country’s apex court with a five-member bench unanimously ruled on Friday that anyone who is disqualified under a constitutional clause requiring legislators to be “honest and trustworthy” would be considered banned for life.
Last year, Sharif was dismissed from the post of prime minister in July. The reason for this action was that a case was lodged over disclosures in the Panama Papers leak, but it ultimately hinged on allegations that he did not declare the details about his salary from his son’s UAE-based company.
But Sharif denied receiving any money as salary and told that he held the position in the company to maintain a valid business visa in the Gulf state. The Supreme Court did not regard his statement and said that it was immaterial to discuss whether he received any salary or not.
The former prime minister and three of his children continue to face a trial for corruption charges before the National Accountability Bureau court. The court is about to deliver a verdict in the coming weeks.
Pakistan is about to hold a general election in July this year.
Sharif’s PML-N party continues to hold a strong majority in parliament, and the party has termed the decision as an attack on democracy.
“This is an accusation on which a sitting prime minister was disqualified; the trial is ongoing and … no accusation has yet been proven,” said State Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb, speaking to reporters shortly after the verdict was announced. “Yet, he has been banned for life.”
“Pakistan is fighting the case for democracy, and Nawaz Sharif will take this to its conclusion.”
Democracy in Pakistan had a tumultuous history of being ruled by the military for about half of the total 70 years after it gained independence from the British.
Sharif himself had to experience his removal from the prime minister office twice during previous stints in the 1990’s. Once he was removed for a tussle with the President and another second time by the military coup by former army chief Pervez Musharraf.
In July, the court in its verdict said that he was unfit for office, citing article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution, which stipulates certain subjective characteristics for a Pakistani to be a member of parliament.
The characteristics include being “sagacious, righteous and non-profligate [and] honest and trustworthy”.
Friday’s verdict will get applied to any legislator disqualified from office under the same clause of the Constitution.
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